tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73079047314745817042017-07-23T05:22:32.053-05:00The Bright Fieldturning aside to consider life, theology, and culture...pchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01638484607415168882noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-80245844968791557132016-06-18T19:06:00.000-05:002016-06-18T19:16:12.857-05:00In the Streets and in Our Souls<i>Rhaka.</i><br /><i><br /></i>That's the word for it. &nbsp;It's Aramaic in origin, and given the semitic affinity for gutturals, you almost feel like you're coughing something up when you say it- which is fitting because the word means "fool" or more literally "empty one." &nbsp;To call someone&nbsp;<i>rhaka</i>&nbsp;was a linguistic way of spitting in their face. &nbsp;A <i>rhaka </i>is subhuman, someone whose life is void of meaning. &nbsp;Simply to say the word is to reduce the other person's value and humanity.<br /><br />I thought about that word this week as I received the news that 49 people had been shot and killed in Orlando, their lives treated as if they were nothing. &nbsp;Then came their names, one by one. &nbsp;Then came their faces and the images of people carrying bodies while the blue lights twirled all around them. &nbsp;It was agonizing.<br /><br />Anyone with so much as the moral conscience of a rock would be broken hearted at the loss of life in the largest mass shooting in US history. &nbsp;Everyone knows this act was heinous, despicable, and vile. &nbsp;The admonition against murder transcends religious traditions and cascades down the centuries. &nbsp;It is a given. &nbsp;But Jesus had a propensity for getting down into the heart of a thing rather than dancing around the periphery of it. &nbsp;In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Jesus says,<br /><br /><i>You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'whoever commits murder shall be liable to&nbsp;the court.' &nbsp;But I say to you&nbsp;that everyone who is angry with their brother shall be guilty&nbsp;before the court and whoever says to his brother, 'Rhaka' shall be guilty&nbsp;before the Sanhedrin.</i><br /><i><br /></i>In this text, Jesus seems less concerned about external behavior as about internal attitudes like anger and hatred (or <i>rhaka</i>)&nbsp;which give rise to murderous acts. &nbsp;His focus is on the the things that act as the fuse of our violence, rather than concentrating on the effects of the bomb itself. &nbsp;He is advocating for some introspection in the depths of our humanity rather than simply focusing on surface behaviors. &nbsp;He's asking us to get at the root of things, rather than trying to find out who's to blame for the rotten fruit. &nbsp;After all, taking a life with our hands is the natural and logical outgrowth of seeing someone as&nbsp;<i>rhaka&nbsp;</i>in our souls. &nbsp;Dehumanization in our hearts leads to bodies in our streets, especially the kind that deals in categorical condemnations that refuse to see so much as one single human face or bother to listen to one single human story. &nbsp;It's so very easy to marginalize an entire category of people when you don't even know one name on the roster.<br /><br />If the images in Orlando impacted you this week and if you long for a different tomorrow, might I urge you to check the spirit of&nbsp;<i>rhaka</i>&nbsp;that lives in you. &nbsp;Whom do you see as less than human? &nbsp;What categories of people are you quick to dismiss and ignore? &nbsp;LGBTQ? &nbsp;Muslims? &nbsp;Where is there unbounded anger, long-lasting disdain, or frigid indifference? <br /><br />As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and reconcilers of ALL people, which begins in the depths of our souls. &nbsp;With this in mind, I'd like for the LGBTQ community in Central Arkansas to know that they have a friend in me. &nbsp;I will laugh with them and cry with them. &nbsp;I see them as beloved children of God who bear the image of their Father. &nbsp;They have a place at my church. &nbsp;I will oppose any effort to see them as lesser humans, objects of scorn and ridicule, or causes for mockery- especially of the theological and religious sort. &nbsp; May the images of this week cause us to see the severity of crude and careless language, bombastic self-righteousness, and cold exclusion.<br /><br />I want my Muslim friends in Central Arkansas to know that I stand in solidarity with them as they condemn the violent ones who would distort their faith. &nbsp;The very word "Islam" is related to the Hebrew word <i>shalom </i>which means&nbsp;<i>peace. &nbsp;</i>I support those who live into the true intent of their faith.<i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</i>I also want local Muslims to know they have a friend in me. &nbsp;I will laugh with them and cry with them.&nbsp;I hope they see in me the &nbsp;One who is called the "Prince of Peace." &nbsp;While I ask them to hold accountable those who distort their faith, I hope to do no less with my own.<br /><br />For decades, many of us have decried the violence of our streets while harboring a spirit of <i>rhaka&nbsp;</i>in our souls. &nbsp;We have created us/them dichotomies that were neither true nor faithful. &nbsp;We have politely ignored the significant suffering around us until it spilled into the streets, and we had to take notice. &nbsp;We have allowed oppression, mockery, disdain, repulsion, and sheer hatred in word and deed to go unchallenged. &nbsp;We have protected the things which make for violence and ignored the things which make for peace. &nbsp;We have dug into the trenches of our culture wars to the point that we no longer hear Jesus calling us to something far greater, better, and more transformative. &nbsp;We have talked about taking Christ to the marginalized without realizing that it's amongst the marginalized that we most often meet Christ. &nbsp;We have allowed politicized fear to overwhelm our faith, and we have shut doors in the name of the one who tore down walls. &nbsp;A better tomorrow doesn't begin by focusing on others, but by doing the hard work of taking responsibility for the life in our own souls. <br /><br />Every single one of us can name the despicable atrocity that occurred in Orlando on Sunday. &nbsp;It was the work of one deeply disturbed gunman. &nbsp;But while none of us are guilty, in a way, we are all responsible (response-able). &nbsp;What I hope to do- and invite you to do with me- is some deep introspection. &nbsp;I want to rid myself and my surroundings of anything that smacks of&nbsp;<i>rhaka</i>. &nbsp;You might even call it repentance. &nbsp;I want to think about the world that lives within me- within my church- within my culture. &nbsp;Because sooner or later, the world that lives within us will spill over into the world without. &nbsp;What we don't allow to take place in our hearts and minds, we won't have to worry about spilling into our streets. &nbsp;May it be so with me...and all of us!<br /><br />Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-35276129596823412852015-02-17T21:14:00.000-06:002015-02-18T08:23:52.273-06:00Rising From the AshesI typically don't think much about ashes except for this day every year: &nbsp;Ash Wednesday. &nbsp;Tonight, I will participate in a strange, ancient ritual in which I'll smear some ashes in the shape of a cross on peoples' foreheads and say something like, "Turn from your sins and follow Jesus" or "Remember you are dust and to dust you will return." Tonight, I'll leave the church marked by ashes on my head and hands.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3B2P2-8r-MY/VOQECb0ay8I/AAAAAAAAADo/-3yiMwWbT_0/s1600/JVMC2663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3B2P2-8r-MY/VOQECb0ay8I/AAAAAAAAADo/-3yiMwWbT_0/s1600/JVMC2663.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The more I think about it, however, I think we could use some more ashes in our lives. &nbsp;Traditionally, ashes have been a sign of penitence, humility, and mourning- although we don't have much use for these virtues in our day. &nbsp;Much of the Christianity I encounter has very little penitence, humility, and mourning. &nbsp;We come in contact with them about as often as we do ashes.<br /><br />Yet, Jesus was acutely aware of the human propensity to see other peoples' sins so very clearly while being blind to one's own. &nbsp;We see the splinter in other people's eyes while being blind to the 2x4 growing from our own. &nbsp;We all have an amazing capacity to delude ourselves. &nbsp;After all, the most difficult thing for my two eyes to see is my own face. &nbsp;This is why we judge other people by their worst actions and ourselves by our best motivations. &nbsp;This is true from a religious perspective as well. &nbsp;We judge other religions by their worst adherents and our own by our highest exemplars. &nbsp;The President learned this lesson the hard way last week with the fallout from the National Prayer Breakfast. &nbsp;We don't want to think about our own sins. &nbsp;Some people said it was because he was bringing up ancient history (although some of it wasn't very ancient), but I suggest that the fallout was because we want to believe in the superiority of our religion over others. &nbsp;This is the mindset that keeps fires of conflict raging, and some people's identity stems solely from their conflicts. &nbsp;They need a <i>them </i>in order to have an <i>us</i>.&nbsp; These people have little use for contrition, introspection and confession because these virtues make for poor ammunition in the culture and religious wars. &nbsp;We all want a religion that inflates our pride rather than one that challenges our ego. &nbsp;We don't want to confess our sins because that would demand we actually see them! &nbsp; <br /><br />Likewise, we live in an age in which humility is hardly a virtue. &nbsp;We rarely hear anyone say that they don't have all the answers. &nbsp;In fact, one of the most threatening and dangerous things one can say in our religious milieu is, "I don't know," as if uncertainty is equated with unbelief. &nbsp;We demonize anyone who dares to disagree with us on any issue. &nbsp;Furthermore, we are frequently shocked that someone does in fact disagree with us because our news sources insulate us from anyone and everyone with a diverging viewpoint. &nbsp;We are an age marked by pride and arrogance. &nbsp;Rarely does anyone change their mind about anything of importance, and any new thought is quickly banished to the hinterland of heresy. &nbsp;Oftentimes, our religious practices only serve to concretize our egos and confirm us in our beliefs. &nbsp;And of course, the greatest pleasure of all is when we discover the Bible (and thereby God) shares our views! &nbsp;Who needs repentance or humility when one is certain God sees it the same way we do?<br /><br />And there doesn't seem to be much mourning in our Christianity either. &nbsp;Worship has become little more than therapy for the saints, an emotional pep rally to charge the troops. &nbsp;But when was the last time you confessed your sins before God in worship? &nbsp;When was the last time your congregation intentionally made time and space for the broken people in the world or acknowledged the very real brokenness in our own lives? &nbsp;When was the last time you experienced silence in worship, listening for that still, small voice of God? &nbsp;When was the last time you left worship having experienced some visceral expression of pain? &nbsp;Jesus said "Blessed are those who mourn," but you wouldn't know it from much Christian worship.<br /><br />What if ashes are the antidote to this expression of faith? &nbsp;I've heard that ashes are vital and essential for some life on this planet. &nbsp;Forest fires often clear out the underbrush of the forests in the Great Northwest so that the giant redwoods have room enough to grow. &nbsp;Some types of seeds only open due to the intense temperatures of fire. &nbsp;Some weeds are only eradicated by fire. &nbsp;The ashes contain the necessary nutrients for the soil, ready for decomposition. &nbsp;In this way, the ashes are symbols of newness, carrying God's tomorrow in their very presence. &nbsp;The ashes are the means by which the future arrives. <br /><br />Perhaps, we could all take this season of Lent to allow the ashes to have their way with us. &nbsp;Perhaps we could- in a spirit of introspection- take an honest look at our own lives. &nbsp;Perhaps we could tame our pride, name all the other gods that have diverted our attention and claimed our allegiance, and identify the fear and ignorance which dehumanizes us and others. &nbsp;Perhaps we could spend some time at the depths of our being, so that we can know the things that can't be known by thinking, but only by experiencing. &nbsp;Perhaps we could make friends with someone who is other. &nbsp;Perhaps we could remember our own frailty, so that we can easily distinguish between serving God and being God. &nbsp;Perhaps we could remind ourselves that we now see through a glass darkly, so we dare not confuse God's Truth with our truths. &nbsp;This is why- though faith, hope, and love remain- the greatest of these is love.<br /><br />What would rise from those ashes would be a version of Christianity that is much more humble, gracious, and compassionate. &nbsp;What would rise from those ashes would be a Christianity much more like Christ. <br /><br />May it be so with us.<br /><br />Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-43882112618961572152015-01-05T21:37:00.000-06:002015-01-05T21:37:29.872-06:00A New Year's PrayerSo one of my goals for 2015 is to blog more consistently. &nbsp;I'm going to strive to post some prayers uttered in worship (I removed the names). &nbsp;Here's one for the New Year.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Joyful, joyful we adore thee- God of Glory Lord of Love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Our hearts unfold like flowers before thee opening to the sun above….Well…sort of, O Lord, but it’s been cloudy and dreary…and there are days when our joy vanishes…and we have days when our hearts are more likely to curl up and harden than to unfurl in the warmth of your love.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>But we long to have our joy renewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We long to know the joy of walking with you, serving you, knowing you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We long for the sort of joy that is not enslaved to circumstance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Grant us the elation of basking in your good news so that we might dance our way into your Kingdom and sing our way through the valleys and shadows. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>And we ask for your joy today on behalf of those we know and love who are hurting:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>___________________________________________.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>And we do adore you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Not because you give us all we have (although you do) but because you give us you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In your love, you have not given up on us which is the only reason we haven’t given up on ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When we are lost, you find us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When we come home, you receive us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When we are wrong, you forgive us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When our pride is strong, your grace is stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When we feel weighed down by our pasts, you invite us into your liberating future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>There is none like you…and so we adore you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>And in this new year, we invite you to open our hearts again and renew our love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Stoke the embers of our love for you that have all but gone out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Remove the apathy from our spirit and the sin from our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Create in us a clean heart and restore to us the joy of your salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Revive our love for our neighbor, whomever our neighbor might be in any given moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Help us to look with compassion upon this world for which you died and to look with mercy upon each of your creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Open our hearts to beauty and the sacredness of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Rekindle a love for our enemy, so that the inexplicable wounds of irrational hate might be met with the inexplicable balm of your irrational love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Enliven our love with your love, O Lord.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>And so…joyful, joyful we adore thee- God of Glory, Lord of Love.<span 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forever.</i><o:p></o:p></div>Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-43201399479274430372014-12-19T15:39:00.000-06:002014-12-19T15:39:06.581-06:00God Gives What We Need Most<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I wonder what the shepherds were talking about under that lone tree in the fields, as they watched their flocks that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>You know they had to be talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>What else could shepherds do as they watched their sheep sleep?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps one of them expressed worry about his son who was drinking his life away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps one of them was worried about finances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I imagine it was difficult to support a family on a night-shift shepherd salary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps one was worried about his struggling marriage, which had grown cold after all those years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The more he worked at it, the worse it became.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Or maybe they were pondering the recent census ordered by Quirinius and the heavy taxation soon to follow.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>I don’t know what the shepherds were talking about in the fields that night, but I know the sorts of discussions 2014 has placed on the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In this year, we’ve seen the rise of ISIS and the evil that can be inflicted by radical fundamentalists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We’ve watched in horror as entire towns were held in their grasp and heads rolled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We watched as conflicts in Syria and the Ukraine sent entire people groups running for their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We watched as EBOLA spread and took lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We watched as racial conflicts destroyed the illusion of living in a post-racial society. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>I don’t know what the shepherds were struggling with that night long ago, but I know the disturbing news which has sent us to our knees this year.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Into the midst of their fears and anxieties, the heavens opened and angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest…and on earth, peace.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Peace.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>It seems absurd to utter that word in our chaotic and fractured world today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>When there is animosity between the religions, tension between the races, division between the classes, and war between the nations how can we even think of peace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>To speak of peace in our day is either comical on the one hand or revolutionary on the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>One neglected aspect of the Christmas story, at least in the way Luke tells it, is the Roman backdrop to this scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The whole story begins with the phrase, “In the days of Caesar Augustus.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>These were the days when Rome ruled the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Empire was having its way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Might was making right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>And of course, Rome, like all empires, couched their control in the language of peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>They called it the “Pax Romana” or “peace of Rome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>But the peace of empire isn’t true peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It is subjugation and control, which only lasts as long as you are the big kid on the block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It is not creation in the wyas of God, but politics in the ways of empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>But when Jesus was born as a “Savior, Christ the Lord,” he was born as an alternative to the ways of Rome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The peace from the angels that night was a different sort of peace from a different sort of Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It wasn’t the peace that comes from subduing or killing your enemies, but the peace that comes from loving them and being reconciled to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It’s not the sort of peace that comes from controlling people by overt force and power, but the sort that comes from inspiring people with authentic love and service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It’s not the sort of peace that comes from halls of power; it’s the sort of peace that shows up in mangers and fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It’s not the sort of peace that comes from silencing the other; but the sort of peace that comes from actually listening to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It’s not the sort of peace we achieve through military victory, but the sort of peace we receive through grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>It is a pervasive peace, which begins deep in our own fractured and alien hearts and spreads from person to person, religion to religion, nation to nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It allows us to make peace with our own souls so that we live out of our true selves rather than our false selves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We can be honest about ourselves and with ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This peace reconciles us to God, so that we need not keep looking for something else to worship or running from the One who can’t be escaped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It brings us closer to people, even those with whom we disagree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It unites and reconciles, bringing together shepherds and angels, heaven and earth, Rome and Bethlehem. <o:p></o:p></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>653</o:Words> <o:Characters>3724</o:Characters> <o:Company>Second Baptist Church- Little Rock, AR</o:Company> <o:Lines>31</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>8</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4369</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span>So, as we reflect on this Christmas season and all that 2014 brought us, may we open ourselves to this peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It is this peace that that world longs to receive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It is this peace which God longs to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>It’s almost too good to be true…almost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Glory to God in the highest, and on earth… peace!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>PEACE!!!<o:p></o:p></div>Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-78450853563773672062014-04-13T20:53:00.002-05:002014-04-13T20:54:40.237-05:00How He Comes To UsA Palm Sunday prayer for worship:<br /><br /><br /><u>How He Comes To Us</u><br /><u><br /></u><br /><div class="MsoNormal">So this is how he came to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Slowly…Quietly…Peacefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He came to us riding a donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">There was little pomp and circumstance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">No trumpets blew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">No armor clinked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">No stallions marched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">No enemies chained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Just Jesus on his donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">As far as kings go, this isn’t what you would expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet, this is how he came to us.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is how he came to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Born in a stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Laid in a donkey’s feed trough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">His nursery was populated with sheep and goats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us with stories and riddles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us with preaching and teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us with powerful healing and radical welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us washing feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us embodying sacrifice and service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">He came to us with holes in his hands and feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">As far as humans go, this isn’t what you would expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet, this is how he came to us.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And this is how he comes to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Slowly…Quietly…Peacefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He comes to us in the most unexpected ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He comes to us in the embrace of children and the tales of the elderly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">He comes to us in the ears of friends and the eyes of strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us in bread and wine, in sermon and song, in prayer and giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />He comes to us in small acts of love, genuine acts of hospitality, authentic acts of forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us in the least of these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us whenever we come to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us whenever we reach for peace instead of war, truth instead of ignorance, welcome rather than exclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us when we have no idea where we are going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">He comes to us amidst our tears, our fears, our doubts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Over and over again, he comes to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">As far as gods go, this isn’t what you would expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Yet, this is how he comes to us.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>272</o:Words> <o:Characters>1553</o:Characters> <o:Company>Second Baptist Church- Little Rock, AR</o:Company> <o:Lines>12</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1822</o:CharactersWithSpaces> 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mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal">He does not come to us in the shouts as much as in the whispers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This is how he comes to us… TODAY… NOW…so listen…<o:p></o:p></div>Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-61603839743063810702014-03-04T21:46:00.000-06:002014-03-04T21:56:20.041-06:00Ashes on the AltarTomorrow night, my church family and I will participate in the ancient Christian ritual of Ash Wednesday. &nbsp;It will be a time to confess our sin, name our unrighteousness, and reflect on our lives. &nbsp;As an act of repentance, we will impose the ashes on our foreheads, reminding us of the frailty of our humanity and the power of God's forgiveness. <br /><br />Of late, however, I've been thinking about the sins of the corporate church. &nbsp;Recently, I had a friend ask me if the church had ever publicly denounced and repented of the rampant racism of its past. &nbsp;What a novel idea! &nbsp;Thus, I've been thinking about what it would look like for the church to walk down the aisle only to have Jesus impose the ashes. &nbsp;What would it sound like if the church confessed her sins in this age? &nbsp;How would the confession read?<br /><br />I humbly and self-critically offer the following as a place for us to start:<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've reduced the gospel to cold rationalism or heated emotionalism.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've named Jesus as Lord but refused to allow him to set the agenda. &nbsp;We confess the times when <i>our</i> issues had nothing to do with <i>Jesus'</i> issues.<br /><br />- We are sorry of the times we've worshipped Jesus without listening to him.<br /><br />- We are sorry we've turned worship into cheap entertainment and evaluated a worship service through the lens of "what speaks to me" or "what I really like."<br /><br />- We are sorry for the pastors who have lorded it over their congregations and the congregations who have allowed it. &nbsp;We confess the abuses of ecclesial leaders who have tried to lead through means other than a towel and basin.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've run from the truth rather than search after it- for the times we've pitted science against faith as if all truth is not God's truth, wherever it is found.<br /><br />-We confess the times we've turned people into a means to an end rather than an end in and of themselves.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've politicized the faith, as if the full measure of discipleship was exhausted at the ballot box. &nbsp;We confess the times we've allowed the gospel to be manipulated by partisan loyalties and the times we've confused the universal Kingdom of God with national interests.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've privatized the faith, as if our relationship with God made no impact on how we treat our neighbor or how we strive for justice in the neighborhood. We confess the times we've rounded off the sharp moral edges of the gospel to ensure it never so much as pricked our finger.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've placed glass ceilings over women, as if the first heralds of resurrection good news were not women. &nbsp;Since "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female," we confess a sexism that is as destructive and oppressive as racism and classism. <br /><br />-We confess our explicit and implicit racism, since Sunday morning remains the most segregated time of the week. &nbsp;We confess the dehumanization, distance, and ignorance that stems from valuing the color of one's skin over the content of one's character.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've prized profits over people and allowed the invisible hand of the market to slap the poor in the face.<br /><br />-We are sorry for our functional atheism- living as if God was not an active participant in this world.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've been willing to pay the price of war because we were unwilling to pay the price of peace.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've used the Bible to support our stances- for the times we've used individual verses as proof texts while we ignored the broad strokes of the Bible- for the times we've cared more about being "biblical" than Christ-like.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've shut doors in the name of the One who tore down walls.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've complained about the specks in other people's eyes because we were blinded by the logs in our own. &nbsp;We are sorry for the times we have, like the Pharisees, swallowed camels but choked on gnats.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've only accepted what (and those) we understood and reduced "reality" to what fit our paradigms.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've engaged in culture wars in the name of a God who is reconciling all things to himself.<br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've shouted at the sinner rather than befriending them, all the while pretending as if we no longer exist in the category of "sinner."<br /><br />- We are sorry for caring more about going to heaven than heaven coming to earth. <br /><br />- We are sorry for the times we've cared more about the institutional survival of the church rather than the vivacity of the Kingdom.<br /><br />-We confess using instruments of fear to motivate people towards a God of love.<br /><br />- We are sorry for our carefully calculated loves, which were permitted only when it didn't cost us anything.<br /><br />- We are sorry for reducing the wonder and sacredness of creation to a shallow utilitarianism.<br /><br />- We are sorry for overlooking the poor, the children, the elderly, and the ostracized in our pews and down our streets. &nbsp;We are sorry for caring more about the Bachelor than the Ukraine, Syria, etc.<br /><br />- We are sorry for our fear of speaking truth to power because we doubted God's power.<br /><br />Before the ashes are placed on our foreheads tomorrow night, they will rest upon the altar. &nbsp;This seems about right. &nbsp;Lord, have mercy.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-56120331311274487212014-01-21T21:40:00.000-06:002014-01-21T21:40:03.993-06:00The King and Dr. KingYesterday, my family, church, and I celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day by helping update the cafeteria of the Salvation Army in downtown Little Rock. &nbsp;On a daily basis, this room feeds the hungry and homeless breakfast and dinner. &nbsp;Throughout the day, I thought about Dr. King's words about racial reconciliation, peacemaking, and economic justice (by the way, why do we so clearly remember what he said about racism but neglect his preaching on nearly every other subject?). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBG7F9OKh1U/Ut7r5j_cmTI/AAAAAAAAACk/yYfJG9qtuF4/s1600/JVMC0516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBG7F9OKh1U/Ut7r5j_cmTI/AAAAAAAAACk/yYfJG9qtuF4/s1600/JVMC0516.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq_qZIQ7ndY/Ut7r-dHG_wI/AAAAAAAAACs/Mm9lRKSby80/s1600/JVMC0554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq_qZIQ7ndY/Ut7r-dHG_wI/AAAAAAAAACs/Mm9lRKSby80/s1600/JVMC0554.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOG74k2sTQc/Ut7sDuUs6jI/AAAAAAAAAC0/LNS_tCAa6XY/s1600/JVMC0446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOG74k2sTQc/Ut7sDuUs6jI/AAAAAAAAAC0/LNS_tCAa6XY/s1600/JVMC0446.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Arkansas, however, Dr. King shared the day with Robert E. Lee. &nbsp;How one day can hold that ironic juxtaposition of figures together, I'll never know. &nbsp;I guess someone thought the day was big enough for the both of them. &nbsp;Chalk it up to one more example of how the south is trying to make peace with the ghosts of our past, although the ghosts make for awkward dance partners.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Both Lee and King cared passionately for their causes. &nbsp;However, one sought to bring about change through proclamation and the other sought to prevent change through force. &nbsp;One used the raw materials of language and dreams. &nbsp;The other employed guns and cannons. &nbsp;One was willing to pay the price of war. &nbsp;The other was willing to pay the price of peace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And yet, one could argue that both were engaged in a sort of warfare. &nbsp;Lee's warfare was physical, involving blood, guns, and cannons. &nbsp;And yet, while the Civil War changed our country in innumerable ways, it did not, and could not, address the depths of the issues that remained until the civil rights movement a century later (and some would argue remain today). &nbsp;Truly, the battlefields of the Civil War were not where the real battles took place. &nbsp;Instead, the Civil War was the result of years and years of a dehumanizing ideology that seeped into the politics, economics, religion, and social structures of the day. &nbsp;This ideology shaped "reality" in those days, so that people couldn't even imagine an alternative way of living. &nbsp;The powers and principalities had a grip on that society in ways that people couldn't even see. &nbsp;Slavery didn't exist simply because the wrong people were in control; slavery existed because the wrong people were telling the stories- or they were telling the wrong stories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That is, until a preacher became a drum major for justice and peacefully spoke truth to those powers and shattered the paradigms of his day. &nbsp;Dr. King's dreams did more to correct the injustices than all the battles of the Civil War. &nbsp;His sermons pulled back the veil of "reality" and revealed the lies for what they were, naked affronts to the truth of God's good news. &nbsp;A preacher did what years and years of violence and bloodshed couldn't do, and never will be able to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To be completely honest, there are days when I wince when someone finds out I'm a minister (or even worse, a preacher). &nbsp;All sorts of loaded and false expectations arise, and the conversation either ends at that point or it shifts towards some fake, <i>say-Jesus-in-every-sentence</i> sort of direction. &nbsp;I think part of my discomfort stems from the fact that ministry has become a sort of harmless vocation. &nbsp;We preachers bless little children, give nice talks, and say nice things when the elderly die. &nbsp;Ministers simply speak to captive audiences, drink a lot of coffee, and pray behind stained glass windows. &nbsp;For many, ministry is an exercise in banality. &nbsp; Meanwhile, the real movers and shakers are those who get things done: &nbsp;doctors, lawyers, politicians, generals, financial planners, etc… &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Occasionally, however, I'm reminded of the sheer potency of the spoken word. &nbsp;In Genesis 1, God speaks creation into existence. &nbsp;In many of the other creation stories in the ancient world, the deity creates the world through an act of violence, but in Genesis, God peacefully&nbsp;<i>speaks</i>&nbsp;reality into existence. &nbsp;Last week I was reading in Mark 1 (verse 38 to be exact) where Jesus, in the midst of numerous acts of power, declares, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." &nbsp;Preaching was primal for Jesus, as he sought to announce God's ultimate reality amidst all the other false realities. &nbsp;And yesterday, while painting walls at the Salvation Army, I was reminded that MLK's words shaped our country more than Robert E. Lee's troops did. &nbsp;Dr. King's dreams captured us in a way that no general's commands could. &nbsp;In a way reminiscent of Genesis 1 and Mark 1, Dr. King stood high on that mountain, looked to the other side, and pronounced a new reality into existence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I'm going to begin paying more attention to my words. &nbsp;I'm going to guard them as if they are as potent and explosive as cannonballs. &nbsp;I'm going to pay more attention to dreams, for a dream is nothing short of a down payment towards a new reality. &nbsp;And today, I take new pride in my vocation, in the hopes that all of us would-be-preachers speak a new reality into existence Sunday after Sunday. &nbsp;I'm even beginning to believe that those whom we allow to mold our notions of reality (cue the poets, musicians, writers, and artists amongst us) carry greater weight than those who control us from positions of power.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday, Arkansas honored a general and a preacher. &nbsp;While the general captured the enemy and shaped the South, the preacher captured the imagination and shaped our consciousness. &nbsp;Lee's influence, while significant in his day, has come and gone. &nbsp;King's voice echoes on because he tapped into a power that outlives him. &nbsp;To be sure, preaching is a strange, baffling, and mysterious reality in which we participate- but so is the Kingdom of God. &nbsp;And our words have a power that power knows not of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, "To pray is to dream in league with God." &nbsp;For Dr. King and Jesus, preaching was doing the exact same thing. &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today, I give thanks to the King for Dr. King…and for all preachers everywhere who preach the truth in love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-44430216243125420712013-12-16T10:14:00.000-06:002013-12-17T13:30:48.375-06:00The Great Advent Scandal<i>Dom Helder Camara, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. &nbsp;When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."</i><br /><br />For the last couple of weeks, I've had the Magnificat on my mind- Mary's song in Luke 1.36-46, which she sings after receiving the news of her miraculous (yet scandalous) future. &nbsp;Mary was a lowly peasant girl, living in a man's world. &nbsp;Many scholars believe her to be a young teenager at the time. &nbsp;Most of us wouldn't have trusted her to baby-sit our children, yet here God is placing the redemption of all creation in her womb. &nbsp;Mary runs off to see her old aunt Elizabeth, who is dealing with an impossibility of her own. &nbsp;It's a magnificent scene of unthinkable impossibilities becoming reality.<br /><br />And so, Mary bursts out in song. &nbsp;She praises God for choosing her in her low estate. &nbsp;She celebrates a God who lifts up the humble and brings down the proud. &nbsp;She claims that this God will feed the hungry and send the rich away empty handed. &nbsp;It reads, not like a normal Christmas carol, but like a song of social subversion and reversal. &nbsp;To be sure, some people spiritualize this text and others dismiss it altogether, but the gospel of Luke doesn't allow you to do that. &nbsp;In Luke's gospel, salvation has EVERYTHING to do with economics, and while Jesus was concerned with more than money, he wasn't concerned with less. &nbsp;In Luke 4, Jesus returns to Nazareth and proclaims good news to those who seem far removed from good news: &nbsp;the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. &nbsp; He was reading from the prophet Isaiah, but you get the feeling this truth could have easily been transmitted through the umbilical cord. &nbsp;In the sermon on the plain in Luke 6:17-49, Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor" (not the poor in spirit as in Matthew), and he says "woe to the rich." &nbsp;Compassionate justice seems to be the core issue of the story of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19-31), and salvation comes to Zaccheus' house shortly after he claims to right fiscal wrongs (see Luke 19:1-10). &nbsp;Social and economic justice are front and center in the gospel of Luke. &nbsp;Mary is simply the first one to give voice to it.<br /><br />Just last week, a political talking head accused the pope of being a Marxist because of his concern for the poor and his call for economic justice. &nbsp;But it's not Marx who prompted the Pope to call for justice. &nbsp;It's Mary, Luke, Jesus and the long line of saints from Ur of the Chaldeans to Rome to Little Rock to cities across the world who believe that God's Kingdom is an alternative reality indeed. &nbsp;Mary's song also indicts those who so quickly cry about an imagined "war on Christmas," but are so slow to see that our blatant social injustices are more of an affront to this season than any, "Happy Holidays," greeting from the 18 year old girl working the Target check out line.<br /><br />Truth be told, whenever I hear sweet little Mary singing her song, I can almost feel the ground rattle under my feet. &nbsp;Some people, whose only lens is politics, will claim this song is scandalous. &nbsp;Others, whose imaginations have been suffocated by "reality," will claim this song is impossible. &nbsp;Maybe it is. &nbsp;But so is the pregnant virgin singing it.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-17669155983865394282013-11-01T13:18:00.001-05:002013-11-01T13:18:22.255-05:00All Saints DayAccording to the holy calendar, today is All Saints Day- a day set aside to remember the faithful who have gone before us. &nbsp;To be honest, the Baptist tradition (of which I am a part) has not done a good job of remembering the saints throughout the ages. &nbsp;It is so easy for all of us to forget that the church spans time, even as it spans space. &nbsp;It is so easy to forget that many of the churches of which we are a part existed long before we frequented the pews. &nbsp;It is so easy to forget that the faith we now cherish has passed down to us through the blood, sweat, and tears of the "great cloud of witnesses". &nbsp;We are stewards of the faith we inherited- not creators of it.<br /><br />So today, I've been thinking of the saints who have been canonized (in my mind at least). &nbsp;I see the faces of my parents and grandparents who provided my first glimpses of God's love. &nbsp;I see the the people in the churches of my youth who taught me the stories that shape my life. &nbsp;I see the professors who not only stretched my thinking and faith, but also my character and commitment. &nbsp; &nbsp;I see the faces of congregants whom I've pastored, people who cultivated more faith in me than I in them. &nbsp;I think about those in years past who worked to make Second Baptist what it is today, from those who opposed the oppressive racism of the 1950's to those who ministered to AIDS victims in the 1990's. &nbsp;I think about the lay leaders who sacrificed because they cared more about building God's kingdom than building their own.<br /><br />And I think about the nameless saints on whose shoulders we now stand. &nbsp;I think about those who gave their lives for the church and the good news which had so captured them. &nbsp;I think about those whose thinking propelled the church into unknown futures. &nbsp;Or those who preserved the scriptures that we tend to take for granted. &nbsp;I think about the nameless pastors who have served in small churches for a glory not their own. &nbsp;Or the missionaries who abandoned the comforts of home to make the lives of other people better. &nbsp;I think about preachers who courageously announced truth when it wasn't in their best interests to do so, and the lay leaders who selflessly gave time and money to a cause that now outlives them.<br /><br />For all these people I know and the multitudes I don't, I offer a humble, "Thank you." &nbsp;Today, while many people disregard the church because they judge it by its worst, I give thanks for those who embodied it at its best. &nbsp; <br /><br />And today, as I look my boys in their eyes, I'll pray that- when they reflect on their canon of saints- I might be among them, even if I'm in the corner somewhere.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-20981424674930828262013-01-30T15:20:00.001-06:002013-01-30T15:54:20.350-06:00Blessed are Those Who Mourn<em>Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.</em>&nbsp; (Matt. 5.4).<br /><br />Over the last several weeks, this verse has taken hold of me for reasons I don't fully understand.&nbsp; Maybe it's because I've participated in two funerals in the last week, and at both funerals we celebrated and mourned simultaneously.&nbsp; I am part of a community that shows up at&nbsp;funerals.&nbsp; We hurt when someone we know dies, and we experience the loss viscerally.&nbsp; We mourn- not in an overly pious kind of way- but in an authentically human way.&nbsp; We&nbsp;pray.&nbsp; We argue with God.&nbsp; We cry.&nbsp; We hurt.&nbsp; We sing.&nbsp; We reread the promises of God in the hopes that we might newly experience them as we read them.&nbsp; We bring broccoli casseroles.&nbsp; We tell stories.&nbsp; We laugh.&nbsp; We&nbsp;mourn.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Or perhaps it's because I'm preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, which is composed of some of the most unorthodox statements in human history (not the least of which is the one mentioned above).&nbsp; I usually offer those who are mourning my condolensces, not my congratulations.&nbsp; In what reality can Jesus dare congratulate the mourning?&nbsp; How can he see mourning as a station of blessedness?&nbsp; I don't know about you, but when I am in mourning, "Congratulations!" isn't the greeting that seems appropriate.&nbsp; Sometimes, I think I'd laugh out loud&nbsp;at Jesus if I wasn't exalting him as Lord of all.&nbsp; Congratulating the mourning seems so foolish and counterintuitive.&nbsp; <br /><br />And yet, there are days when I begin thinking that we've lost the capacity to love and feel compassion for another human being.&nbsp; Through a variety of means, our culture numbs us to the suffering and loss around us.&nbsp; The media bombards us with bad news without giving time and space for us to absorb the suffering fully.&nbsp; As a result, we understand the suffering around us but we no longer <em>feel</em> it enough to act upon it (or what Neil Postman calls an imbalance in the information-action ratio).&nbsp;&nbsp;Our technology allows us an unimaginable breadth of connections, but it struggles to help us deepen them.&nbsp;&nbsp;Seriously, how many funerals could you attend where you knew whether or not&nbsp;the preacher was lying through his teeth about the deceased?&nbsp; We frame our ethical debates in terms of "rights" (absolutist language), but our conversations all too often lack the compassion and care for others that fueled Jesus' ethic.&nbsp; If compassion for others stoked the same fires that personal liberties do, we would be a different culture indeed!&nbsp; In all of these ways and more, we are conditioned to keep pain, suffering, and loss at arm's length.&nbsp; Of course, in an effort to keep pain, suffering, and loss at arm's length, we&nbsp;must keep&nbsp;each other&nbsp;at arm's length too.&nbsp; I cannot love you without exposing myself to pain because love demands mutuality and symbiosis.&nbsp; I can't shield myself from human suffering without automatically diminishing my capacity to love another.&nbsp; The moment I begin to resist sharing your suffering, I also begin to resist YOU.&nbsp; One's capacity to suffer and one's capacity to love are exactly congruent.<br /><br />In this way, only those who risk pain can truly love.&nbsp; Only those who mourn death can be said to have ever appreciated life in the first place.&nbsp; Only those who mourn loss&nbsp;truly valued it before it was lost.&nbsp; Only those who mourn truly&nbsp;shared in&nbsp;the existence of another.&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe&nbsp;those who are mourning are the only ones who are fully ALIVE.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />I'm reminded today that the first people who experienced the reality of resurrection were those who were mourning.&nbsp; Those women experienced the pain of loss, and they arrived at the tomb prepared to continue their mourning.&nbsp; And yet, it was into their loss that the living Christ spoke to them.&nbsp; It was in a cemetary that they first uncovered a life so subtly overwhelming that it changed the nature of their tears.&nbsp; It was in their grief that they first experienced the risen Jesus.&nbsp; Joy came in the morning.&nbsp; Joy also came in the mourning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />And so- blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><em>There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be&nbsp;wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one,&nbsp;not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.&nbsp; (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves</em>).</span>Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-91062356055565674492012-12-17T16:23:00.000-06:002012-12-17T16:41:18.465-06:00The Slaughter of InnocentsSo I've given myself some time to process- as a minister, as a father, as a human- although the more I process the events the more befuddled I become.&nbsp; I'm assuming it's the same for you.&nbsp; <br /><br />26 people.&nbsp; <br />20 children.&nbsp; (6 years old, 6 years old, 7 years old, 6 years old...)<br />6 adults, including teachers/administrators- some of our greatest public servants.&nbsp; <br />Assault weapon.&nbsp; <br />Elementary school.&nbsp; <br /><br />In what world do those phrases have any sort of convergence?&nbsp; How can this happen?&nbsp; How can we live in the face of such inexplicable violence and irrational darkness?&nbsp; Yesterday, I mumbled a few words to the congregation, although I felt like I was whistling into a whirlwind.&nbsp; All I knew to do was "believe out loud," so here goes.<br /><br />Truth be told, I was getting ready to hunker down with the shepherds and Joseph and Mary one more time.&nbsp; I was ready to gather at the manger- Norman Rockwell style.&nbsp; I've seen the portraits of the Nativity- the ones that portray the manger as a fairly nice crib and the stall as a sanitized delivery room.&nbsp; The ones that give baby Jesus an incandescent glow rather than that strange purply color of most newborns.&nbsp; The ones that portray Mary as saintly beautiful rather than in need of more pain meds.&nbsp; I was&nbsp;settling into&nbsp;the sentimentality of the season, when suddenly the events of Friday knocked the sentimentality and romanticism right out of it.&nbsp; <em>Silent Night</em> was about the farthest song from my mind on Friday.&nbsp; All was neither calm nor bright.<br /><br />At some point along the way- I remembered the way Matthew tells the story.&nbsp; The birth of Jesus is told with such brevity you almost read over it without noticing it.&nbsp; Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus in one verse- "She gave birth to a Son: and he called his name Jesus" (1.25).&nbsp; <br /><br />In the next verse, Matthew begins the story&nbsp;of King Herod, who upon hearing of one born "King of the Jews," set about to remove the threat.&nbsp; In his paranoia and insecurity (to which history attests), Herod initiated a policy of death, systemically killing children 2 and under throughout the region.&nbsp; This event has been popularly deemed "The Slaughter of Innocents."&nbsp; I've never seen Norman Rockwell make an attempt at this one, nor have&nbsp;I seen&nbsp;this depicted on a Hallmark card.&nbsp; And yet, this is the backdrop for the birth of Christ in Matthew's gospel.&nbsp; Infantcide.&nbsp; Irrational evil.&nbsp; Immeasurable darkness.<br /><br />Furthermore, the scandal of it all is that this story isn't about God's absence (as some have argued about our most recent tragedy)- but God's presence.&nbsp;&nbsp;GOD IS WITH US- Immanuel.&nbsp;&nbsp;God shares in every pain, every death,&nbsp;every tear, and every loss- because God exists in close proximity with us.&nbsp;&nbsp;When the voices cried in Ramah (2.18), Mary's, Joseph's, and Jesus' voices were among them.&nbsp; In his inexplicable love and irrational concern, God became one of us.&nbsp; It was love that drove God to the manger.&nbsp; &nbsp;The manger was a donkey's feed trough.&nbsp; The stable was anything but sanitized.&nbsp; The birth was anything but&nbsp;romanticized.&nbsp; It was as real as life is- and as messy and&nbsp;painful.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />Honestly, I take some peace in the fact that Jesus' birth left little room for the sentimental and the romanticized because neither my life nor our world is sentimental and romanticized.&nbsp; Jesus was not born into a Norman Rockwell world; he was born into our world.&nbsp; Death, evil,&nbsp;and suffering are realities in&nbsp;our&nbsp;world and must be acknowledged as such.&nbsp;&nbsp;In our frail humanity, we stare&nbsp;into the&nbsp;abyss&nbsp;day after day,&nbsp;sensing an&nbsp;expansive darkness that brings us to our&nbsp;knees.<br /><br />What we most need is good news that comes to us in the midst of our realities, not that which ignores them.&nbsp; What we most need is a presence that calms our souls in ways that answers never will.&nbsp; <br />What we most need is a God who draws near suffering, not a God who runs away from it.&nbsp; <br />What we need is a love that is as irrational as the hatred and fear.<br />What we need is an inexplicable&nbsp;light that shines amidst inexplicable darkness.<br />What we need is a peace that comes from open doors, not that which only exists behind triple locked ones.<br /><br />And so, the last few days I've returned to the story and rediscovered the news.<br />Shepherds.<br />Angels.<br />Glory to God.<br />Peace on Earth.<br />Manger.<br />Virgin.<br />Baby.<br />Savior.<br /><br />In what world do those phrases have any sort of convergence?&nbsp; How can this happen?&nbsp; How can we stare into the face of such immeasurable love and irrational peace?&nbsp; Truth is- I can't get my head or heart around what happened in Bethlehem that night any more than I can get my head or heart around what happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.&nbsp; But the only way I know to move forward after last Friday's darkness is in the light of this other story.&nbsp; The only way I know to move forward is by trusting that there is more truth and meaning in that one verse in Matthew than in the thousands of reports we've consumed in these days.&nbsp; While&nbsp;Herod's violence lives on&nbsp;in this world, so does Christ's peace.<br /><br />No matter the depths of the darkness.&nbsp; No matter the breadth of the pain.&nbsp; No matter the statistics of death.&nbsp; No matter the power of fear.&nbsp; No matter the layers of despair.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jesus comes to us one more time.&nbsp;&nbsp;It's in times like this that we cling to Immanuel like our lives depend on it.&nbsp; Because...well... they do.&nbsp; <br /><br /><em>She gave birth to a son and he called his name Jesus</em>.<br /><br />This news brings me to my knees as well.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-18722954890710948332012-12-10T14:15:00.000-06:002012-12-10T15:17:34.286-06:00It's What You BelieveThe other day, I stumbled upon a meditation from Richard Rohr, one of my favorite writers.&nbsp; While not specifically an Advent thought, it does center on the wonder and belief of this season.&nbsp; Hope it blesses you.<br /><br /><em>We know everything today</em><br /><em>And believe almost nothing</em><br /><br /><em>It is not reason that drives our lives,</em><br /><em>But passion or the search for it.</em><br /><em>It is not words and concepts,</em><br /><em>But living images that grab our souls.</em><br /><em>It is not what we know that haunts us in the end,</em><br /><em>But what we did not know and don't know yet.</em><br /><br /><em>We must make friends with the unknowing,</em><br /><em>What you know is just ten thousand different things.</em><br /><br /><em>But what you believe</em><br /><em>Is what you pay attention to,</em><br /><em>What you care about,</em><br /><em>What finally lives and matters in you.</em><br /><br /><em>What you believe is not one of ten thousand things,</em><br /><em>It is that which sees ten thousand things.</em><br /><br /><em>It is not what you know that matters,</em><br /><em>Or changes anything:</em><br /><em>It is what you believe</em><br /><br /><em>And believe all the way through.</em><br /><br />May we all believe- all the way through!Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-5579016147030741942012-11-28T09:55:00.000-06:002012-11-28T09:55:08.745-06:00On Earth, PeaceHis name was Salem Boulos, and he was a Palestinian Christian living in Gaza.&nbsp; On Nov. 19, Boulos- a father of five and a member of the Baptist church in Gaza- was killed when an Israeli bomb hit a nearby building.&nbsp; According to an Ethics Daily article about Boulos released this morning,&nbsp;around 2000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, and&nbsp;as you might imagine, the recent conflict has been brutal for them.&nbsp; In short, people are dying.&nbsp; People created in the image of God are dying.&nbsp; People for whom Christ gave his life are dying.&nbsp;&nbsp;People who share our communion table are dying.<br /><br />A lot of the talk I hear surrounding this conflict revolves around Israel as "God's chosen people."&nbsp; What I don't hear is any discussion of the&nbsp;purpose of&nbsp;Israel's chosenness.&nbsp; The reason God chose Abraham was so that he might be "a blessing&nbsp;to the nations" (Gen. 12.2-3).&nbsp; From the beginning, God's election of Israel&nbsp;grew out of his love for ALL the nations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lesslie Newbigin, a British theologian, has&nbsp;helped me wrestle with election more than anyone else.&nbsp; Newbigin argues that God's election&nbsp;always&nbsp;serves a missional purpose.&nbsp; When our view of election is divorced from our view of God's cosmic mission of redemption and wholeness, then God's choosing becomes little more than an arbitrary game of playing favorites.&nbsp;&nbsp;In other words, God&nbsp;doesn't choose the particular because&nbsp;God only cares about the particular.&nbsp; No, God chooses the particular&nbsp;to be&nbsp;his servant for the sake of&nbsp;all creation.&nbsp; God cares about the world- ALL of it, and God uses particular people to reach the ends of the earth.&nbsp; God is on the side of all creation, summoning all creation to draw near.&nbsp; <br /><br />One also wonders how we could miss so much of the New Testament which argues that in Jesus, Israel's&nbsp;calling and purpose found fulfillment.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jesus did what Israel&nbsp;could not.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jesus- who continually stepped over nationalistic boundaries, who called his followers to be peacemakers, who blessed&nbsp;all people through his life, death, and resurrection- epitomizes what it means to be&nbsp;chosen by God.&nbsp; <br /><br />Thus, the real issue at hand isn't what side of the conflict we are on, but which side of peace we are on.&nbsp; The real issue is whether or not we have the courage&nbsp;to follow the One who always chooses peace.&nbsp; To be clear, I'm not arguing for Israeli control over the Palestinians or Palestinian control of the Israelis (this cycle IS the problem), and I readily confess my shallow knowledge of what is an unimaginably complex conflict.&nbsp; What I am calling for is a renewed commitment to peace from those who name Christ as Lord.&nbsp; I am arguing for an allegiance to Christ and the ways of Christ that trumps all other allegiances.&nbsp; I'm asking Jesus people&nbsp;to wrestle with the&nbsp;hard questions.&nbsp; Will we continue to flippantly dream of "world peace," or will we begin the hard work of engaging the things which make for peace?&nbsp; Will we allow national interests to take precedence over human lives?&nbsp; Will we allow our views of Israel to shape our notions of peace or will we allow our views of peace to shape our notions of Israel?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />As the season of Advent slowly approaches, I'm beginning to hear echoes of the angels' song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to ALL people."&nbsp;&nbsp;One wonders if this old song could find a new choir in this season.&nbsp; One&nbsp;wonders if that child of peace could be born anew in this season.&nbsp; If he is, I'm betting that he nestles down amongst the peacemakers.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />Today, I pray that this peace might find its way around the whole world, and I hope it begins with the family of Salem Boulos.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-20677809864993379572012-11-06T16:59:00.000-06:002012-11-06T17:21:51.976-06:00Politics as ReligionThis weekend, a friend (Brian Warfield)&nbsp;and I were discussing our political climate, namely its vitriolic tone, utter polarization, and totalitarian&nbsp;emphases.&nbsp; Brian&nbsp;offered a provocative observation, one that has echoed in my mind these last few days.&nbsp;&nbsp;He said, "It's almost like politics has become a sort of religion in and of itself."<br /><br />Spring Creek&nbsp;serves as a polling place for our community.&nbsp; Today, I've been astounded at the number of people who have walked through our facility.&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of times, our parking lot has mirrored an Easter crowd.&nbsp; I began to wonder of today&nbsp;IS&nbsp;Easter for some people, those&nbsp;for whom the political process is of ultimate importance.&nbsp; Tonight will be the grand conclusion&nbsp;to months of wandering in the campaign wilderness.<br /><br />In some ways,&nbsp;politics does&nbsp;possess all the trappings of religion.&nbsp; There are holy days to be sure, including primaries, debates, conventions, and elections.&nbsp; Tonight, no matter who wins, some people will mourn the end of the world and some people will dance at the arrival of the Kingdom of God.&nbsp; Each party has its fair share of evangelists, who zealously promote its good news.&nbsp; These&nbsp;partisan mascots remind me of the old enthusiastic revivalist preachers who were&nbsp;more heat than light.&nbsp; Party platforms all but confess certain creeds and confessions, deriving from&nbsp;the orthodoxy undergirding them.&nbsp; Oftentimes, people attach messianic importance to the candidates,&nbsp;elevating them&nbsp;to&nbsp;superhuman status.&nbsp; The conventions increasingly&nbsp;feel like worship services, with a liturgy comprised of music, testimonies, and speeches&nbsp;(which almost smell like sermons).&nbsp;&nbsp;Each party has its&nbsp;share of canonized saints (cf. Bill Clinton/ Ronald Reagan). &nbsp;Furthermore, in a time where religious lines are merging and blurring, political boundaries are hardening and ossifying, producing a society in which political affilitations are more defining than religious commitments.&nbsp;&nbsp;In some places, one's&nbsp;seat at the communion table is determined more by their candidate of choice&nbsp;than the Lord of their lives.&nbsp; Maybe Brian&nbsp;is right, politics has become&nbsp;something of a sacred enterprise, filling a void of meaning in a day when religion in&nbsp;its various manifestations is&nbsp;on the decline.&nbsp;&nbsp;Has politics become a religion&nbsp;unto itself?&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Today, I cast my vote as a grateful citizen of a wonderful country, cognizant of the importance of presidential elections.&nbsp; At the same time,&nbsp;I was reminded that American politics is at best penultimate when seen in the light of an eternal Kingdom which is already here and also yet to come.&nbsp; <br /><br />The world will not change tonight, no matter who is elected.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm reminded of this, not just on election day, but every Easter when I show up at an empty tomb to discover something more powerful than a popular vote or even the democratic process.&nbsp; Every Easter, I behold an act of God, a new world, and a true Messiah who can do more than we can ask or imagine... or elect.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-81573407230942547182012-10-30T17:01:00.000-05:002012-10-30T17:01:22.686-05:00Simplicity and Mystery<em>I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.&nbsp; </em>Oliver Wendell Holmes<br /><br />I dont' know about you, but I long for simplicity.&nbsp; One gander at my calendar, one cursory glance&nbsp;at the complex issues that we face today; just trying to survive life-&nbsp;and I find myself&nbsp;longing for simplicity.<br /><br />I'm not talking about simplistic living on this side of complexity.&nbsp; I'm not talking about a way of life that avoids the issues of the day by burying&nbsp;one's head in the sand.&nbsp; I'm not talking about an approach to faith that is pre-rational.&nbsp; I'm not talking about religion that mocks science without fully engaging it.&nbsp; I'm not talking about a church where people leave their brains at the door lest the discussion&nbsp;grow complicated.&nbsp; I'm not talking about claiming mystery as a substitute for&nbsp;critical thought.&nbsp; I'm not talking about&nbsp;simplistic answers that haven't taken the time to bother with the questions.<br /><br />The simplicity I long for is on the OTHER side of complexity.&nbsp; It's the simplicity of realizing that every age has its issues, and yet the faithful persist.&nbsp; It's the simplicity that reorients one's&nbsp;busyness without trivializing life's realities.&nbsp; It's the simplicity of a post-rational faith, a faith that has become more content amidst the forests of questions than the deserts of answers.&nbsp; It's the simplicity of knowing that mystery isn't the replacement of thought, but the humble admission that after we've done our best thinking, there is still more mystery beyond us.&nbsp; I'm talking about religion which befriends science, but also&nbsp;realizes that many ultimate realities simply do not fit in test tubes.&nbsp; I'm talking about&nbsp;a faith where head and heart are joined, and the soul remains open to the miraculous and inexplicable.&nbsp;&nbsp;I want a faith that relentlessly pursues truth but also realizes that a greater Mystery is relentlessly pursuing me.&nbsp; I want to love God with every neuron in my brain without succombing to the illusion that God is somehow&nbsp;entrapped&nbsp;there.&nbsp; I want to wrestle with the questions, but I also wonder if faith isn't shaped more in wrestling with the questions than answering them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />I don't want an irrational faith;&nbsp;I want a superrational faith.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;I concur with Holmes:&nbsp; I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but&nbsp;I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />What do you think?&nbsp;&nbsp; Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-60316869597697294682012-10-05T16:09:00.000-05:002012-10-05T16:09:07.212-05:00The Bible and WomenI pastor a church where women are free to be and do all God calls them to be and to do.&nbsp; In the last few years, we have ordained women to be deacons, elders, and ministers of the gospel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, we no longer&nbsp;talk much about women in ministry&nbsp;at Spring Creek for the same reason we don't&nbsp;talk much about men in ministry.&nbsp; It's just part of our DNA, part and parcel to who we are.&nbsp; For us, Christian leadership has nothing to do with gender.<br /><br />Some people, especially some of our other Baptist brothers and sisters, believe this practice to be unbiblical, referencing texts like&nbsp;1 Tim. 2.9-15, 1 Tim. 3.2, and 1 Cor. 14.34-36 as&nbsp;clear biblical&nbsp;prohibitions against women in leadership roles in the church.&nbsp; Given&nbsp;our last two posts, however, I would like to reconsider the "biblical" view of women in the church.<br /><br />First of all,&nbsp;because Jesus is the interpretive lens through which we interpret Scripture, we must begin with him.&nbsp;&nbsp; When compared with all the other common&nbsp;views of women in his day, the way Jesus&nbsp;treated women was somewhat revolutionary.&nbsp; Jesus elevated women to a status they had never&nbsp;enjoyed before.&nbsp; While most people saw women as something like possessions, Jesus treated them as something like people!&nbsp;&nbsp;He included them amongst his disciples and commended them as examples.&nbsp; He equalized their marriage status&nbsp;with the men of his day in his teachings on marriage and divorce.&nbsp;&nbsp;Women were the first witnesses to the resurrection in all four gospels.&nbsp; Furthermore,&nbsp;Jesus' announcement of a Kingdom&nbsp;where&nbsp;people live in mutual love and support becomes strained when&nbsp;one&nbsp;group of those people is <em>a priori</em> relegated to secondary status simply because of their gender.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the place where women are most restricted in&nbsp;our&nbsp;day is the place where people gather in the name of&nbsp;the one&nbsp;who most liberated them in his day.&nbsp; From the beginning, I must ask myself:&nbsp; do our views of women pass the Jesus test?&nbsp; Do our views of women pass the love test?<br /><br />Secondly, most of the issues concerning women in the church stem from the Apostle Paul (as evidenced by the three texts mentioned above).&nbsp; Today, many people view Paul as suppressive at best and a misogynist at worst.&nbsp; However, several issues must be addressed here:<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1) Is Paul being descriptive or prescriptive?&nbsp; If prescriptive, is he prescribing decrees for all places at all times or for that particular time and place?&nbsp; Would our views of women in the church be congruent with our views of the length of women's hair, which he also addresses?<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2) These aren't the only texts in which Paul addresses women.&nbsp; Paul speaks of Phoebe who is a deacon in Rome (16.1-2), and he addresses how women should dress when they prophecy, which means PREACH (1 Cor. 11.5)!&nbsp; In several letters, Paul says something like, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3.28).&nbsp; In other words, the boundaries and categories which typically define us have been destroyed in the light of the one who gives us a new identity.&nbsp; Most of us would be appalled at the idea of racism in the church or classism- and yet many of us institutionalize sexism.&nbsp; Why would the church want to tear down these other walls and&nbsp;perpetuate the other at all costs?&nbsp; Would the "equal in status but different in roles" argument work for race and class as well?&nbsp; I sure hope not!<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3) Furthermore, we must address how literal we intend to take the "prohibitions" mentioned above.&nbsp; For example, 1 Tim. 3.2 states, "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife...."&nbsp; It's the "husband of one wife clause" that forbids women from serving in that capacity, some argue.&nbsp; However, many of those same people would have no problem with a single minister.&nbsp; At the most literal level, you can't be the husband of one wife if you are single.&nbsp; Yet, many of the churches who argue so vehemently about gender never mention marital status.&nbsp; Why is this?<br /><br />Finally, the overall biblical witness testifies to the irreplaceable importance of women in the history of God's people.&nbsp; Women saturate the Bible in ways unique to most other ancient literature.&nbsp; Joel dreams of a day when "sons and daughters will prophecy (again preach)," and this text is remembered by Peter at Pentecost as a sign of the presence of the Spirit.&nbsp; Miriam aided Moses, and subversive midwives overcame Pharaoh.&nbsp; Deborah was one of the greatest judges, and Hannah gave birth to more than just Samuel.&nbsp; Mary is the paradigmatic disciple in Luke, and the Philippian church would have been drastically different if not for Lydia.&nbsp; Stories like this frequent the Bible from cover to cover.&nbsp;They also frequent every church I've ever been a part of.<br /><br />Again, when we ponder all this, are we sure we&nbsp;ascribe to&nbsp;THE biblical view of women in the church?&nbsp; <br /><br />Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-47907492771164224572012-09-19T08:51:00.000-05:002012-09-19T09:30:45.048-05:00The Problem With "Biblical" (Part II)<i></i><br /><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;"><i><i>Like any book, the Bible is something of a mirror:&nbsp; if an ass peers in, you can't expect an apostle to peer out!</i>&nbsp;William Sloane Coffin</i></div><i><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;"><i>"When everything biblical is not Christ-like, we Christians need to develop an interpretive theory of Scripture.&nbsp; I think the love of Jesus is indeed the plumb line by which everything is to be measured.&nbsp; And while laws may be more rigid, love is more demanding, for love insists on motivation and goes between, around, and way beyond all laws."</i>&nbsp; William Sloane Coffin</div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;">Let me begin with an analogy.&nbsp; A while back, I had a bad pair of sunglasses.&nbsp; Actually the problem was less with the sunglasses than how I had abused them.&nbsp; They were bent, scratched, and cracked (and my wife said I looked more than a&nbsp;little foolish when I wore them).&nbsp; Whenever I put those glasses on, they were the lens through which I perceived the whole world.&nbsp; Because my lenses were broken and scratched, I saw a broken and scratched world composed of broken and scratched people and things.&nbsp; Of course, the problem wasn't with the world, but my visionary perception of it.&nbsp; Lenses, whether good or bad, impact the way we see the world.&nbsp; I am trying to argue that ALL of us read the Bible through certain lenses.&nbsp; The two quotes above, from one of America's greatest&nbsp;preachers, hint at the necessity of a faithful interpretive lens when we are reading the Bible.&nbsp; The question for all&nbsp;of us isn't whether we read through&nbsp;certain lenses.&nbsp; Rather, the question is what a faithful set of lenses would look like.</div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;">Some people believe that the Bible interprets itself, serving as its own lens. &nbsp;Some texts interpret others. Namely, the New Testament sheds light on the Old. &nbsp;While this view does have certain merit, the problem is deciding which texts interpret others- which texts are heavy and which texts are light. &nbsp;Some people would cry that you can't pick and choose. &nbsp;While I agree with the sentiment that you can't pick and choose arbitrarily, I do believe we all pick and choose. &nbsp;The question is how to do so faithfully. &nbsp;When asked what he believed the greatest commandment to be, Jesus didn't reply, "All of them are equally important. &nbsp;You can't pick and choose..." &nbsp;No, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. &nbsp;On this commandment hangs all the law and the prophets." &nbsp;I believe what Jesus is saying is that this command is the lens through which he read the Bible (it's the hinge on which all Scripture hangs). &nbsp;Loving God and loving neighbor must color all of our interpretations. &nbsp;Any other lens is cracked and broken.</div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;">Furthermore, I believe that interpretive lenses were at the heart of the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. &nbsp;The Pharisees cared a great deal about the Bible. &nbsp;They took great care with the letter of the law, and they spent many hours debating the "biblical" views of ____________. &nbsp;The sharp disagreement between Jesus and the Pharisees seems to be a debate over the most faithful lens through which to read Scripture. &nbsp;For example, it's not that one cared more about Sabbath than the other, but that their differing lenses created different interpretations and practices. &nbsp;The Pharisees had Bible verses addressing the Sabbath in their pockets as well, but they were reading through a different lens than Jesus. &nbsp;Lenses make all the difference. &nbsp;</div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;">In short, our understanding of the Bible doesn't begin with the Bible, but with Jesus. &nbsp;He must be our interpretive key, or we are misreading the text. &nbsp;Sometimes, I grow concerned that we are focusing so much attention on the Bible that we are ignoring the one the Bible is pointing to. &nbsp;To borrow one more phrase from Coffin, "We believe in the Word made flesh before we believe in the Word made words." &nbsp;We must maintain the primacy of Jesus over Scripture or else we are reading the Bible through the wrong lens. &nbsp;Thus, the concern to be Christian must take precedence over the concern to be biblical, lest&nbsp;the signpost that points to Christ be confused with Christ himself. &nbsp;When the Bible is granted as much authority as Jesus, then it becomes a happy hunting ground for just about any "biblical" interpretation. &nbsp;When the lens is broken, even 20/20 vision is impaired.</div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><br /></div><div style="font: 16px Times; margin: 0px;">&nbsp; &nbsp;</div></i>Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-39236940828640651202012-09-11T09:05:00.000-05:002012-09-11T09:24:21.091-05:00The Problem With "Biblical"I know this is going to sound funny since I am a pastor and all, but I'm growing increasingly concerned about how people understand the Bible. &nbsp;More specifically, I've grown uncomfortable with the phrase, "the biblical view of ___________." &nbsp;Let me explain.<br /><br />There are many expressions of Christianity today, including many expressions of Baptist life. &nbsp;Each denomination claims to be "biblical." &nbsp;Each one reads Scripture, studies Scripture, and seeks to practice Scripture. &nbsp;It's just that each tradition interprets the Scriptures differently. &nbsp;It took me a while to come to the realization that Presbyterians, Episcopals, Methodists, and Catholics all care about the Bible as much as Baptists do. &nbsp;For one expression to say that it has "the biblical view of ___________" takes more than a little hubris and intellectual pride. &nbsp;Furthermore, I heard biblical references in both political conventions over the last several weeks. &nbsp;How can you read the same Scripture and come to so very different conclusions? Both conservatives and liberals read the Bible. &nbsp;People on both sides of "the issues" read Scripture. &nbsp;Maybe it's a matter of emphases; maybe it's a matter of perspective; or maybe it's a matter of agenda- but varying perspectives can claim to have a "biblical view."<br /><br />I'm convinced that several unchallenged assumptions underlie much of the popular understanding of Scripture. &nbsp;Here are a few:<br /><br />1) Many people believe that the Bible speaks univocally. &nbsp;Thus, Scripture has one perspective on just about everything. &nbsp;However, I'm convinced that the Bible should not be read as one book, but as 66 books, written over the span of many years from many different contexts. Furthermore, many of the books argue with each other. &nbsp;If you ask the question, "Why do people suffer," while reading the book of Deuteronomy, you are going to get a vastly different answer than when asking the same question of the book of Job. &nbsp; It's not that one is true and the other isn't, but that suffering is mysterious and one perspective is insufficient in exploring the depths of it. &nbsp;In this way, the Bible mirrors the polyvalence of real life.<br /><br />2) I believe that many people underestimate the meaning that the reader brings to the text. &nbsp;To assume that one meaning lies within a text and can be purely extracted apart from the attitude, faith, and perspective of the reader is just nonsense. &nbsp;Does a faithful reading of Scripture not demand illumination from the reader as much as inspiration from the writers? &nbsp;The character of the reader is as important as the text itself. <br /><br />3) Finally, I believe this perspective ignores the lessons of the past. &nbsp;Many of the slave owners in our nation's history justified their depraved practices by quoting Scripture. &nbsp;They believed they were doing the "biblical" thing. &nbsp;Even within the Bible itself is a story of Satan who tempted Jesus by quoting Scripture! &nbsp;Surely "biblical" must mean something more than placing biblical texts in parentheses after stating our convictions or quoting a hodgepodge of verses. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br />I'm growing increasingly convinced that <i>how </i>we read the Bible is as important as <i>that</i>&nbsp;we read the Bible. &nbsp;I am convinced that many times, the phrase "the biblical view of __________" is veiled speech for "my interpretation is __________." &nbsp;However, when <i>my</i> view is couched as <i>the</i> view, then I place it above reproach and correction, and I'm in a position of authority over any who would disagree with me.<br /><br />Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to blog on our perspective of Scripture, and I welcome your comments. &nbsp;I want us to think together about what we mean by "biblical," and how we can become more faithful readers of the text. &nbsp; Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-2637901328124915462012-08-28T22:50:00.001-05:002012-08-28T22:50:12.692-05:00Kindergarten DadIn the morning, around 8:25, I'll drop my five year old son off at his elementary school. &nbsp;As we slowly creep forward in the drop off line, I'll begin to tell him how proud of him I am and how important I believe learning to be. &nbsp;As he unbuckles his seat belt, I'll tell him how much I love him and wish him a good day. &nbsp;He'll smile and say, "I love you too, Dad," and then he'll jump out. &nbsp;I'll watch him walk away with his backpack over his shoulders, hanging over half the length of his body. &nbsp;His tennis shoes will show underneath, looking too big for his spindly legs. &nbsp;If the last 10 days are any indication, my eyes will well up (you know how these Oklahoma allergies can be). <br /><br />For the last five years, my wife and I have kept him in something of a bubble of love. &nbsp;I guess the moment a child exits the safety of the womb, insulated from the world, we try to rebuild a womb of a different sort. &nbsp;This second womb we usually call "home." &nbsp;Over the last five years, we have loved him best we know how. &nbsp;We have tried to instill the values we hold most dear. &nbsp;We have attempted to create an atmosphere of peace and joy, where he could flourish as a human being. &nbsp;For the last five years, we have tried to protect him from all that would harm him and nourish him with all he needs to grow and mature. &nbsp;And yet, just a couple of weeks ago, we experienced the birth pangs of Kindergarten. &nbsp;Suddenly, he was forced into this strange new world while we were needing epidurals.<br /><br />Now, I trust my five year old son to a teacher I have barely met and a school I haven't spent more than one hour in. &nbsp;I find myself praying for public school teachers and administrators in a way I never have before. &nbsp;I'm trusting one of God's greatest gifts to them, for 7 hours every day, as are all the other young families in my zip code. <br /><br />Every day, when I watch him walk into the building, I'm reminded of how dependent we all are upon each other. &nbsp;If he turns out to be a person of character and a responsible citizen, it will be because MANY people have shaped him: &nbsp;extended family, school teachers, coaches, friends, Sunday School teachers... &nbsp;The truth is that NONE of us have gotten where we are in life on our own; NONE of us raise our children on our own; NONE of us make it in life on our own. &nbsp;Much of the rampant individualism and over-privatization we hear about today is just the great myth that each of us is the captain of our own destiny and an island unto ourself. &nbsp;For the life of me I can't understand why so many people draw such impermeable boundaries between "family values" and "social justice." &nbsp;The moment I drop my kid off at school, what's good for family and what's good for society seems to collapse into one.<br /><br />Every day, when I watch him walk into the building, I begin to wonder if anyone he will bump into that day will recognize how important and invaluable he is to me. &nbsp;He's my son. &nbsp;Then again, he goes to school with other people's sons and daughters who feel the same way. &nbsp;Come to think of it, everyone I bump into at the grocery store, Starbucks, or Jiffy Lube is someone's son or daughter. <br /><br />So I guess what I'm saying is- be nice to one another. &nbsp;Whether you are at an elementary school or somewhere else- just be nice to one another. &nbsp;All of us need each other, and everyone you run into today is someone's child. &nbsp;As of two weeks ago, the person you bump into might just be mine. &nbsp;Now if I could just get my allergies under control! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-81850769253213489722012-08-15T14:14:00.000-05:002012-08-15T14:14:18.623-05:00Peacemaking Amidst Culture WarsWell, it has begun again.&nbsp; You've heard it I'm sure.&nbsp; The trumpets are blasting.&nbsp; The infantry and calvary have taken their strategic positions.&nbsp; The trenches have been dug, and the canons are loaded.&nbsp; "Culture wars," is the cry.&nbsp; In the wake of the Chick-Fil-A saga and in the throws of vitriolic political campaigns, I've overheard numerous people on both sides of&nbsp;the issues express their fury at those who would undermine our society and values.&nbsp; I've read articles from religious leaders about the pungent dangers of Christians disarming and retreating.&nbsp; Underneath the conversations and the articles, however, is a worldview that contributes to and exhaserbates the problem rather than solves it.&nbsp; <br /><br />Think about the term- "culture wars."&nbsp; We are now using militaristic language to describe the struggle we find ourselves in.&nbsp; This&nbsp;particular lens is precisely what is fueling the conflicts&nbsp;before&nbsp;us.&nbsp; The problem isn't in <em>what </em>we see as much as it is in <em>how </em>we see.&nbsp; Let me explain:<br /><br />If we believe we are in an idealogical warfare, then we begin in a defensive posture, cultivating fear and spreading paranoia.&nbsp; We are more apt to shoot the other&nbsp;(whoever the other happens to be) than we are to share a meal with them because we began with the assumption that they are a threat.&nbsp; Furthermore, since the enemy is "attacking," it becomes so very&nbsp;easy to dehumanize them (to treat them as something other than a beloved creature created in the image of God).&nbsp; How can we love what we are deathly afraid of?&nbsp; Perfect love casts out fear; it doesn't perpetuate&nbsp;it.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Warfare implies trenches.&nbsp; The enemy is dug in, and we are no less.&nbsp; The enemy is faceless and abstract, and they are the source of the problem (which is how we justify ALL wars of all types).&nbsp; This is no time for introspection, personal confession, or humility.&nbsp; No, the enemy has a monopoly on the evil in our midst and must be removed.&nbsp; Meeting in the middle is nothing short of appeasement, and the time for dialogue has come and gone.&nbsp; The guns are already&nbsp;loaded.&nbsp; This is why there has been so much talk&nbsp;(from both sides) about claiming their "freedom of speech," but no one is talking about a Christian obligation to listen and respect (even if we disagree).&nbsp; Trenches make it impossible to move toward the&nbsp;other, and so everyone stands entrenched&nbsp;and paralyzed with no progress in sight.&nbsp; For many people, their entrenchment is less a conscious choice than a simple result of blind partisanship, static views of truth, and uncritical absorption of whatever the media labels as news.&nbsp; It is so easy for all of us to fall into a trench without even realizing it, which should give all of us pause for reflection and deliberation.<br /><br />Trenches, in their very essence, are exlusive.&nbsp; Trenches are meant to keep&nbsp;"us" in and "them" out.&nbsp; We would rather protect ourselves from each other than give ourselves to each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;Those who would dare step out of their trenches and defy the conflict are viewed as suicidal headcases, fit for nothing but crucifixion.&nbsp; Yet, how can we proclaim a kingdom in which all are welcome when we are crouching in our trenches?&nbsp; Who could even hear us from such a stooped posture and remote distance?<br /><br />In warfare (even ideological warfare), victory is achieved through power.&nbsp; We must kill in order to live and conquer in order to win.&nbsp; Thus, the goal is success (be it elections, record days of sales- whether&nbsp;high or low records, policies, voter turnout...).&nbsp; The&nbsp;hope is in the power of control.&nbsp; Even if we have to sacrifice some of our integrity, some of our truthtelling, or some of our graciousness to&nbsp;win, then so be it.&nbsp; On the other hand,&nbsp;Jesus seemed to believe in the power of love, rather than the power of control.&nbsp; He was willing to face personal suffering&nbsp;and asked his followers to do the same.&nbsp;&nbsp;In this way, the cross is our standard of truth; not public opinion or sales receipts.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />In short, the Jesus I believe in would summon us to put down our idealogical guns and pick up our&nbsp;crosses and towels.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in would have us claim our responsibility to listen before we claim our freedoms to speak, so that when we do speak we might speak truthfully and lovingly to people who might&nbsp;respect us enough to actually care what we are saying.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in would call us to follow him- which means coming out of our safe trenches and risking the vulnerability of love.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in would call us to be peacemakers rather than rigid idealogues.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in is reconciling ALL things to himself, which makes&nbsp;our trenches seem&nbsp;rather arbitrary.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe&nbsp;in didn't just&nbsp;bring&nbsp;into question the piety of the trenches, but the necessity of the war altogether.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in&nbsp;made the news for eating&nbsp;WITH sinners rather than making the news for eating AGAINST them.&nbsp; The Jesus I believe in cared a lot more about people than issues of piety&nbsp;(e.g. the Sabbath controversies in&nbsp;Mark).<br /><br />So my plea for Christians is to&nbsp;put this talk of "culture wars" behind us.&nbsp; It is not faithful language, and it lends itself to alientation.&nbsp; My plea is not to pick the right trench, but to question the war.&nbsp; My plea is to be known by our love- not just to love- but to be KNOWN by our love.&nbsp; My plea is to see the world through another lens- maybe the lens of reconciliation and peacemaking.&nbsp; Wouldn't it be something if peacemaking was the news we were actually making?&nbsp; Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-20838115435494215962012-08-12T00:24:00.001-05:002012-08-12T00:24:46.928-05:00Roosters and RepentanceOne surprise on our recent visit to Hawaii was the roosters, walking around in public with no boundaries or limitations. &nbsp;One morning, a stubborn rooster woke us up early and evoked the fledgling poet within me.<br /><br />"Repent!"<br /><br />But why does the rooster crow<br />still- on this infant morning.<br />Does Peter still need his reminder<br />or does the siren sound for<br />some other's benefit- pledging<br />a commitment beyond their keeping.<br /><br />Or is it the fresh light of<br />a new day that stirs the<br />rooster so- head high,<br />chest out, royal herald<br />of good news from the One<br />whose dawn always engulfs the night.<br /><br />July, 2012Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-65009980958914028122012-08-03T00:26:00.000-05:002012-08-03T10:17:18.770-05:00Transcendence (or "Standing at the Foot of a Waterfall")So I haven't blogged in a while because I've been busy on vacation. &nbsp;This year Rebecca and I celebrated our 10th anniversary by going to Hawaii for 10 days. &nbsp;(Of course, Rebecca says the 10 years have felt like 10 days, but that goes without saying.) &nbsp;Like the rest of humanity, I knew Hawaii was a beautiful place. &nbsp;I expected glorious views and breathtaking vistas. &nbsp;What surprised me was the kind of beauty I beheld. &nbsp;It wasn't the kind of beauty that makes you step closer into it, like an art gallery where the image is fixed on canvas. &nbsp;It was the kind of beauty that somewhat frightened you because of the sheer glory of untamed wilderness. &nbsp;It was the kind of beauty that took your breath away and made you want to take a step back lest it pull you in. <br /><br />Most of the beaches I've been to are large beaches full of pure white sand, and the ocean is fairly calm and predictable. &nbsp;Because Hawaii is largely volcanic rock, the beaches aren't as large. &nbsp;You are right there, feet away from an ocean with unpredictable currents and rip tides. &nbsp;Waves frequently collide with rocks sending the surf feet into the air. &nbsp;On the islands, you are surrounded by water (which is usually the case with islands I guess), miles and miles of water. &nbsp;Just thinking about the breadth of Pacific was enough to make me shudder. &nbsp;Sunsets there made the sky above the clouds come alive as much as the ground below them. &nbsp;Again, it's beautiful, in a wild and powerful kind of way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odfUq5aBlYA/UBtLaGdzEdI/AAAAAAAAABY/6EYnqgLEoHo/s1600/DSC_0689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odfUq5aBlYA/UBtLaGdzEdI/AAAAAAAAABY/6EYnqgLEoHo/s320/DSC_0689.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bRT_5RIZfh0/UBtM-xQhQBI/AAAAAAAAACE/LAcBqCgDjlQ/s1600/DSC_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bRT_5RIZfh0/UBtM-xQhQBI/AAAAAAAAACE/LAcBqCgDjlQ/s320/DSC_0817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our second day on the island of Kauai, we took a hike- a long, strenuous, taxing hike. &nbsp;We climbed two miles up the Napali coast, where the ocean meets unbelievable cliffs. &nbsp;The views were amazing, and the height of the steep cliffs was terrifying. &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TTsWz0yjhj0/UBtLkbWeFdI/AAAAAAAAABg/79RDb0aZJGY/s1600/DSC_0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TTsWz0yjhj0/UBtLkbWeFdI/AAAAAAAAABg/79RDb0aZJGY/s320/DSC_0760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />After descending to a beach, Rebecca and I hiked another two miles inland, along a beautiful river. &nbsp;The trail was dangerously muddy and almost impassable. &nbsp;About the time I began wondering why in the world anyone would call this fun and do this sort of thing on vacation, the tree line gave way to a deep valley and a huge waterfall. &nbsp;The height of the fall literally took my breath away. &nbsp;There we stood, with mud on our legs and sweat on our shirts staring up at something much larger than us. &nbsp;I arched my back and craned my neck to see the top of it, but I couldn't. &nbsp;I tried to swim out under the fall, but the pool was too cold. &nbsp;Truly, it was one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6IM0wDyrQ/UBtL_6E7AVI/AAAAAAAAABo/K6DNQVo-crA/s1600/DSC_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6IM0wDyrQ/UBtL_6E7AVI/AAAAAAAAABo/K6DNQVo-crA/s320/DSC_0790.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_N6xxNQWmqU/UBtMLiV92PI/AAAAAAAAABw/RjfnihAbIio/s1600/DSC_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_N6xxNQWmqU/UBtMLiV92PI/AAAAAAAAABw/RjfnihAbIio/s320/DSC_0793.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />It's hard for me to convey with a few pictures and words, but the beauty of Hawaii was different from what I expected. &nbsp;I guess I was reminded that some of the most beautiful things in this world are also the most dangerous. &nbsp;I felt awfully human staring out at the vast Pacific. &nbsp;I felt peripheral watching the sun light up the dusk sky. &nbsp;I felt powerless watching the waves smash the shore and currents overwhelm their contents. &nbsp;I felt frail staring down high cliffs. &nbsp;I felt incapable of taking in the fullness of the waterfall. &nbsp;Around every turn and over every cliff, I saw scenes that reminded me that I am but one creature in the vast expanse of creation and most of the things that occur in this world are outside of my control and beyond my competence. &nbsp;Hawaii made me experience my frail humanity, in a beautiful kind of way. <br /><br />I'm a preacher, and I often talk about God's power as if I somewhat understand it. &nbsp;But last week, I went to Hawaii and stood at the base of a waterfall. &nbsp;Not only could I not see the top; I couldn't even tolerate the pool at the bottom. &nbsp;But I jumped in anyway. <br /><br />Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-4245030130829655512012-07-10T14:17:00.000-05:002012-07-10T14:21:32.497-05:00Going to Church With Old PeopleI'll begin with a confession: &nbsp;I go to church with old people. &nbsp;Now our church doesn't smell like moth balls; we don't have afghans hanging over any pews; and we don't have those old wooden attendance boards at the front of our sanctuary.&nbsp;&nbsp;We do have more than a few walkers.&nbsp; We have a hearing aid blow like the final trumpet about every other worship service.&nbsp;&nbsp;We do open hymnals every Sunday.&nbsp; While we have our fair share of children, youth, young adults, and median adults, I must confess that I go to church with old people. <br /><br />To be honest, I've never thought I needed to confess this. &nbsp;I mean, I've always gone to church with old people, and until recently, I've never thought about doing otherwise. <br /><br />I was checking out at a book store when the clerk looked down at my books on theology and preaching and said, "You must be a pastor."&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yes," I replied.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You're awfully young to be a pastor. &nbsp;You must pastor a church full of young people."&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "No, we have people of all ages- even senior adults." &nbsp;(See, I don't call them "old people," I call them "senior adults." &nbsp;Job security I guess!)&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shocked, the young man said, "You pastor&nbsp;a church full of old people?" &nbsp;Those are the words that came out of his mouth, but his expression made me wonder if I had said, "I pastor a church full of the Taliban." &nbsp;This young man was flabbergasted that a 31 year old guy would not only pastor a church with old people in it but also find joy in doing so. &nbsp;He proceeded to tell me about his church that didn't have any old people so they didn't have to worry about tradition, it wasn't a big deal to change anything, and the music made you want to dance rather than go to sleep.&nbsp; Turns out, there are numerous churches like this in the OKC metro- and most metros.<br /><br />Now I'm not judging other kinds of churches. &nbsp;I believe the Kingdom of God has many expressions, and I've learned to find beauty in the diversity. &nbsp;It's not that I despise churches with no room for senior adults; it's just that I don't understand them. &nbsp;I don't understand why we would question churches without racial, class, or ideological diversity, but we are fully comfortable with churches that contain only one generation. &nbsp;Heck, church growth models even seek to create churches like this. &nbsp;I don't understand why we throw out the baby of good tradition with the bathwater of paralyzing traditionalism.&nbsp; (I believe it was Jeroslav Pelikan who said, "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.")&nbsp;&nbsp;I don't understand why we succumb to the cultural myth that newer is always better and anything old (or anything that looks old) is to be avoided. &nbsp;I don't understand why we place so much more emphasis on styles of worship that appeal to age demographics than the content and focus of worship which appeals to God. &nbsp;I don't understand why younger people are so resistant to stereotypes, but so quick to generalize about senior adults. &nbsp;I don't understand why we would intentionally create a church where our children would never rub shoulders with those of other generations, where we rarely sang the hymns that have sustained the faithful for ages, and where we never do a funeral. &nbsp;(How do we celebrate resurrection when no one in our church has ever tasted death?) &nbsp;I just don't understand. &nbsp; <br /><br />Is it possible that many churches have bought into the rampant marketing strategies of our culture which says anything old is to be remodeled or discarded for something new? &nbsp;Is it possible that in our efforts to reach out to the marginalized in our culture, we have been blinded to how we often ostracize the elderly? &nbsp;Is it possible that some of our cool churches are as ghettoized as some of the more traditional ones? &nbsp;Is it possible that we have placed more emphasis on who we are attempting to attract than who we are attempting to reflect? &nbsp;Is it possible that, in an effort to be fresh and new, we have turned our backs on thousands of years of Christian wisdom before us? <br /><br />One of the great joys I've had as a pastor is sharing life with the senior adults in various churches. &nbsp;They have taught me, corrected me, encouraged me, and inspired me. &nbsp;They have made the church better in a myriad of ways.&nbsp; Here are a few:<br /><br />1) Senior adults bring the wisdom of the ages rather than the fad of the moment. &nbsp;Their multitudinous experiences deepen the life of the church and enrich the practices of the church. &nbsp;They serve as an indictment on the "cult of the new," those in our society who believe novelty always trumps truth. &nbsp;Seniors can speak wisdom (not advice, but wisdom) into the lives of those further downstream. &nbsp;For example, this last Sunday, one of our senior adult women spoke in worship about a 3-4 month period in which she lost her son to brain cancer, a grandson in a car wreck, and a sister in law to a heart attack which took place at the grandson's funeral. &nbsp;It is enough to make Job cry. &nbsp;At the end of her story, she pointed to our congregation and said, "God never left us, and God will never leave you. &nbsp;It's going to be OK." &nbsp;Everyone was moved, regardless of whether you were 91 or 19. <br /><br />2) Senior adults bring perspective to the church. &nbsp;Their mere presence offers a sense of transcendence. &nbsp;They are subtle reminders that the&nbsp;church was here long before I was born and will be here long after I'm gone. &nbsp;At every one of their funerals, I'm reminded of our task of carrying the torch they leave behind. &nbsp;As their bodies become more feeble, I'm reminded of the frailty of humanity and our desperate need for God's healing. &nbsp;They help us think beyond today.&nbsp; <br /><br />3) Senior adults bring life to the church. &nbsp;I know this seems backwards, but I've seen it too many times. Senior adults do not resist change; they resist empty and vaporous change. &nbsp;They care very deeply about their children and grandchildren (and the nature of the church at which they will feel at home). &nbsp;They love God passionately, and they model care for their neighbor. &nbsp;For example, we have a group called "Pray and Sew," which is a group of older women who gather once a month to pray and sew (we are very creative with our names). &nbsp;At first, this group seemed harmless enough- just a bunch of cute senior adult women sewing and knitting. &nbsp;However, over the last 4 years, they have made thousands of first class garments for hospitals, nursing homes, grieving families, and the military. &nbsp;Their ministry reaches all around our city, our state, and our world.<br /><br />I have no utopian views of old age, nor the senior adults which compose our identity.&nbsp; It's not really the age of a congregation I'm concerned about, but the vision of it.&nbsp; Surely, churches should reflect their communities demographically.&nbsp; But even more than reflecting our community, the church is called to reflect our God.&nbsp; When churches begin to "target" a certain demographic, I can't help but feel far removed from Jesus whose target audience was....well... whosoever would come.&nbsp; <br /><br />And so, I will continue to treasure the old people of Spring Creek. &nbsp;We will follow Jesus together, laugh together, and cry together. &nbsp;I'll continue to push a few wheelchairs. &nbsp;I'll continue to hear stories from days gone by. &nbsp;I'll continue to wonder if the distinct odor of Ben Gay smells anything like the ancient offering of incense. &nbsp;I will continue to be awed by the life in their wrinkles and the love in their eyes. &nbsp; <br /><br />As for me, I hope I die as an old man full of years. &nbsp;I hope the old man I become is somewhat wise, tolerably cantankerous, and fully faithful. &nbsp;I also hope some people I go to church with will come to my funeral, especially those who are much younger than I am. &nbsp;I hope they come because we knew each other, had broken bread from the same loaf, answered the same call, shared life together, and called each other brother and sister.&nbsp; <br /><br />For now, I'll keep going to church with old people.Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-83877949725763391672012-07-02T23:13:00.000-05:002012-07-02T23:13:26.060-05:00The Thunder, Bedlam, Politics, and the GospelSo I've given myself some time to calm down.&nbsp; I'm no longer yelling at the refs or the Thunder or LeBron or the other people who bear the burden of watching a game with me.&nbsp; I must concede that the Heat simply bested the Thunder.&nbsp; Nothing more.&nbsp; Nothing less. &nbsp;Now I've had time for some reflection.<br /><br />I have been astounded by the energy in OKC during the Thunder's run this year.&nbsp; Flags were hung on car windows and draped over buildings.&nbsp; Everywhere I went, people wore Thunder hats and shirts.&nbsp; Everyone has been talking about the Thunder.&nbsp; The team captured the city, and they were a breath of fresh air.&nbsp; For a long time, I have wondered about the source of the Thunder's appeal.&nbsp; For a while, I thought it was the exciting brand of baskeball; then I thought it was the joy of watching young players grow up before our eyes; and then I thought it was just winning.&nbsp; Last week, my friend Stacy Pyle offered an observation and light bulbs finally fired in my mind (which doesn't happen very often).&nbsp; Stacy said, "It has been so refreshing to have a sports team that unites us rather than divides us."<br /><br />You see, before the Thunder, Oklahoma never had a professional sports team (the Hornets' brief stint in OKC is the lone, brief exception).&nbsp; For the last three quarters of a century, Oklahoma has been a state that revolves around college sports, namely the two major universities.&nbsp; When it comes to college sports, the lines are clearly drawn.&nbsp; Sooners or Cowboys.&nbsp; Red or Orange.&nbsp; Billy Sims or Barry Sanders.&nbsp; People who were born into loyalty to one university never dared convert to the other.&nbsp; Conversion meant shame and denial.&nbsp; Now there is a pronounced energy surrounding the sporting events of these two universities, especially when they play each other, but it is a negative energy.&nbsp; Fear of losing to the other school often trumps the joys of winning.&nbsp; Neither team can find it in themselves to root for the other.&nbsp; In Oklahoma, college sports renders the state divided.&nbsp; <br /><br />Then, the Thunder came to town.&nbsp; Everyone wears blue.&nbsp; Everyone cheers for the same team.&nbsp; When the Thunder play, Sooners and Cowboys actually watch the game together. &nbsp;The energy equalled that of the Bedlam, but it was positive energy- the kind that unites us. &nbsp;This season, we all cheered together, cried together, and griped together (dang free throws...). &nbsp;Together is the operative word.<br /><br />In the last couple of weeks, I've seen some parallels between OKC's sports loyalties and the differences between politics and the gospel. &nbsp;I know this goes without saying, but our land is paralyzed by partisan lines. &nbsp;The palpable energy is that of divisiveness and resistance, like trying to force the positive ends of two magnets together. &nbsp;Oftentimes, what energizes one party is their opposition to the other. &nbsp;Seriously, does anyone steeped in partisan politics ever change their mind? &nbsp;Is there any openness to creativity and "third ways?" &nbsp;Is there anyone who cares more about the common good than political expediency? &nbsp;Is there anyone left who cares more about people than ideology? &nbsp;When the focus is on partisan politics and hot button political issues, my church (and I'm guessing yours) is split right down the middle. <br /><br />The gospel, on the other hand, brings an inherent energy to a community, but it is a positive energy- like the strong attraction between the different poles of a magnet. &nbsp;The gospel brings the community of faith together. &nbsp;To borrow a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr., "We only find common ground in the higher ground." &nbsp;For Christians, the gospel is higher ground. &nbsp;The way of Jesus is not the least common denominator for us; it is the GREATEST common denominator. &nbsp;I'm not advocating for an evasion of the pressing issues of our day. &nbsp;We must not hide our head in the sand. &nbsp;But I am questioning what determines the pressing issues of our day: &nbsp;partisan agendas or the Divine mission? &nbsp;If we forget the wisdom of &nbsp;our center, we will never have the wisdom to speak to our circumference. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br />So my plea to the church is to step into the higher ground of the gospel. &nbsp;Let us center our lives on the things Jesus centered his life on, rather than the incendiary issues which claim prominence in our day. &nbsp;Let's remember that the cross is our symbol, not an elephant or donkey. &nbsp;Let's find our energy in the things which unite us around the communion table rather than the cynical rhetoric which fills our air waves. &nbsp;Let's listen to each other sincerely and authentically, but let's listen to Jesus first and foremost. <br /><br />I guess what I'm saying is let's put down the red and orange and pick up some Thunder blue. &nbsp;After all, they did have enough wisdom to draft a Baylor Bear this last week! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307904731474581704.post-60151453768147230662012-06-05T23:57:00.000-05:002012-06-05T23:57:29.425-05:00Imagination and FaithWe were all born with imaginations.&nbsp; Most of us had imaginary friends.&nbsp; We had no problem accepting strange tales of other worlds or alternative realities. &nbsp;In children's stories, it isn't uncommon for animals to talk in plain English or people to possess some superhuman capability. &nbsp;But somewhere along the way, we usually begin to discourage imagination in our children. &nbsp;We tell them to stop using the imaginative aspects of their brains and begin using other forms of cognition- namely reason. &nbsp;Education in Western culture is heavy on reason and empirical evidence and light on imagination. &nbsp;Thus, we regularly exercise our reason while our imaginations atrophy.<br /><br />Of late, I have begun to long for a return of imagination to the practices of the church. &nbsp;I can see several ways in which a healthy imagination might enrich the faith community.<br /><br />1) The majority of Jesus' teachings appeal to the imagination rather than reason. &nbsp;Parables and paradox (Jesus' favorite ways of teaching) were never meant to be understood- but experienced. &nbsp;Who among us hasn't wanted to attend the party the Father threw for his prodigal son (or become infuriated by it!). &nbsp;If Jesus wanted to convey static, rationalistic truth he could have given us a few formulae or a couple of lists (aka, 7 ways to...). &nbsp;Rather, he told stories that demanded participation and imagination in order to fully transform the person. &nbsp;Mathematical formulae teach us, but good stories change us. <br /><br />2) Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote that prayer was "dreaming in league with God." &nbsp;Thus prayer is dreaming God's dreams after him. &nbsp;This notion of prayer has often saved me from self-absorbed drudgery. &nbsp;Oftentimes, I find myself dreaming with God about a situation, the church, or the world in a way that words could never convey. &nbsp;Perhaps the simplest definition of prayer is dreaming with God. &nbsp;(By the way, have you ever noticed how prominent dreams are in the Bible as sources of revelation but how skeptical we are of them today).<br /><br />3) The Bible is chock full of metaphor, which convey meaning at a level deeper than reason. &nbsp;Metaphors demand imagination, because as their most literal level, metaphors are lies. &nbsp;When we say, "God is a rock," or "God is our Father," we must- even subconsciously- play with what that means in our lives.<br /><br />4) Our younger generations are open to imagination in a way that older generations are not. &nbsp;Many youth I know are more comfortable in the world of Harry Potter than 5th period biology. &nbsp;They are comfortable thinking about alternative realities as opposed to the "real world" we see before our eyes. &nbsp;It's not that biology isn't true; it's just that biological truth doesn't matter as much as other truth.<br /><br />5) That which controls our imaginations controls our lives. &nbsp;We live in a world that appeals to image in every way, and what we see behind our eyes shapes what we see in front of them. &nbsp;Those who see the universe as a closed system of cause and effect will find evidence to support the same. &nbsp;Those who see the universe as a creation full of mystery and wonder will find evidence to support the same. &nbsp;The world we imagine is usually the world we seek to create. &nbsp;If we believe that, in God's reality, lions lie down with lambs, then fear and self-preservation are no longer the primal motivations behind everything we do, and peace becomes a viable way of life in the world.<br /><br />I'm not saying that faith is irrational, and I fully believe that we should use our best reason in being God's people. &nbsp;However, I do believe that faith is super-rational, and oftentimes our imaginations are better guides in the land of mystery and wonder than our reason. <br /><br />For all these reasons (and more) I believe the church should be a place where imagination is welcomed and cultivated. &nbsp;What do you think?Preston Cleggnoreply@blogger.com0